Potassium Permanganate treatment - Urgent advise needed.

[Spinning Blue]

I have never used this treatment before.

Today, I did an 80% water change and added a dechlorinator API Stress Coat +. I then added my PP and instead of a nice Magenta coloured tank, it immediately went brown. Did a bit of research and saw that API Stress Coat+ as a dechlorinator can neutralise the PP.

I therefore added some Hydrogen Peroxide, removed 80% of the water in my tank and re filled but this time added no dechlorinator (the first time I have ever done this). I will point out that I have no way of storing / aging water and I do not use HMA filtration. I have a Python system straight from the tap.

Once the tank was refilled (this time with no dechlorinator added), I again added my PP. Unfortunately, it has almost immediately went brown again, like a murky tea. I'm therefore assuming the PP has once again been neutralised but I simply don't know why.

Do I need to keep adding more and more until it changes from brown to purple?

Can anyone offer some support?

[Second Hand Pat]

I will suggest you do something different rather then use PP since to be honest not adding a dechlorinator to untreated water can be easily harmful to the fish. Also you simply do not add PP until you get to a certain color. You make a stock solution first. So the first question is what are you trying to treat?
Pat

[brewmaster15]

I second what Pat said, especially the part about what you are treating?
Al

[brewmaster15]

As a side note .. pp is an oxidizer. It turned brown the second time because you probably still had hydrogen peroxide in the tank ..it doesnt take much ...plus you have chlorine from municipal water. Please dont skip the dechlor .

[seanyuki]

Potassium permanganate.....Actual treatment rates in an aquarium tank will vary depending on the amount of organic matter, or organic load, in the water. As with any chemical treatment, it is crucial to accurately estimate the volume of water that is to be treated. By dosing by colour, will look entirely different shades of purple due to lighting, depth of tank , background colour etc. Chemical treatment needs to be base on science.

[capirexx]

Same thing happen when I tried PP. Now I do it by dosing PP only from Day 3 or 4 after WC. PP color stays longer, about 10 mins. Not sure how to keep the color longer than that.

[brewmaster15]

Same thing happen when I tried PP. Now I do it by dosing PP only from Day 3 or 4 after WC. PP color stays longer, about 10 mins. Not sure how to keep the color longer than that.

For PP to be effective it needs to be active. .. changing color means its reacting with something. If its changing color in 10 mins its not going to be effective at treating anything.

What are you using it to treat? There are many alternatives to PP that can be used depending on what you are trying to treat.

PP really isn't something any discus keeper needs to routinely use...its actually one of our most misused discus treatments. If you need to use it regularly, it isnt treating a problem..its masking it.

[LizStreithorst]

You need to get the tank squeaky clean before adding PP. You can leave the sponge, but all driftwood must come out. If you have a substrate it will never worm. Be sure to do the best wipe-down you possibly can, followed by a big WC. Then wait until the next day to add the PP.